1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector for connection to a sensor which has an integrated microcontroller, with a plug-and-socket connection for connection to an interface of the sensor and with an electronic circuit. In addition, the invention relates to a process for decentralized storage of the parameters of a sensor or for parameterization of a sensor.
2. Description of Related Art
Sensors with an integrated microcontroller, so-called “intelligent” sensors, are being increasingly used for a host of applications in automation. Thus, for example, in process measurement engineering, the pressure, temperature, level, flow velocity and flow rate of gases, liquid or solid media, but also of loose bulk material, can be monitored or measured. By using “intelligent” sensors, individual sensors can be used for different applications; this reduces the diversity of types and at the same time increases possible applications.
However, in this way, it is often necessary for the sensors to require more and more parameters in order to be able to optimally adapt the very universally held functions of the sensor to the respective application. The parameters to be set can be, for example, one or more operating points. In addition to one or more adjustable operating points, it can often be necessary to set a value for hysteresis. In addition to the operating point or the limits of the measurement range, the parameters to be set can be, for example, the choice of a certain measurement medium, a temperature range, a time delay or the type of output signal. Sensors with ten and more parameters to be set are thus not a rarity.
In a host of these sensors, the actual measurement unit and the evaluation unit, or at least part of the evaluation unit, are accommodated jointly in the housing, the evaluation unit having especially an indicating and setting display. With these displays, which often have a LCD display or a bar graph, on the one hand, the accurate and reproducible setting of a parameter via the corresponding buttons is possible, and on the other hand, in addition to the actual measurement values, the set parameters are also indicated using the display.
Based on the space which is generally only available to a very limited degree for the indicating and setting display, usually only two or three buttons are available for inputting of the individual parameters, so that operation of the sensor, and especially the inputting of the individual parameters, is not easily understandable. In this connection, different button combinations must often be pushed in order to be able to set the individual parameters. Programming or parameterization of these sensors is then both relatively time-consuming and also fault-susceptible, so that programming and parameterization of the sensor on site can only be done by trained personnel.
The “intelligent” sensors under consideration generally have a serial interface which can be operated via the sensor terminal generally made as an M12 connector pair. The terminal is used, moreover, for electrical supply of the sensor and also as a switching output. To do this, a corresponding supply cable with a mating connector is connected to the terminal. Using a computer or a corresponding programming device, programming and parameterization of the sensor can be performed via the digital interface.
In addition to the above described problems in the parameterization of the sensors, for these “intelligent” sensors, in addition, there is generally still the requirement to document the set parameters. As described above in conjunction with parameterization, this can take place by a connection of the sensor interface to a computer or laptop. However, the disadvantage here is that, then, the set parameters of an individual sensor are no longer available directly on site, i.e., on the respective sensor. For this reason, in practice, the set parameters are often impressed onto a metal plate as the parameter plate which is attached directly to the machine in the vicinity of the sensor which is to be monitored. However, this type of documentation of the set parameters is relatively complex, and thus, expensive. Furthermore, it must be assumed that, in the course of operation, individual parameters are subsequently changed; this then is generally no longer documented afterwards.
If a sensor defect occurs so that the sensor must be replaced, it often happens that the parameters of the defective sensor which were set last are not completely documented or are not directly present on site. Then, if the parameters of the defective sensor can no longer be easily read out or there are no correspondingly trained personnel on site at the time of the fault, parameterization of the new sensor—if at all—is only possible with a relatively great time expenditure, so that a relatively long shutdown of the monitored machine or an entire system takes place under certain circumstances.